


Conquest

by theheadandthekin



Category: Sleepy Hollow (TV)
Genre: Angst, Apple Pie, Character Study, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2015-10-08
Packaged: 2018-04-25 11:00:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4957828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theheadandthekin/pseuds/theheadandthekin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Courage builds on its own practice. Between S2 and S3, Abbie and Crane face some of their own fears.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Conquest

He tells her he needs to get away from Sleepy Hollow. Boy, does she understand.

With a pat on the arm and a quick smile, she tells him he can borrow a suitcase and offers to drive him to the train station tomorrow.

He declines on both counts. He doesn’t want to have something of hers he needs to bring back. And he doesn’t want to force himself to turn away from her when he goes.

***

She gets a nod of support from Reyes and hits “submit” on her second application to Quantico.

It doesn’t feel right—not yet—but it does feel like relief.

She can finally have her life back. For herself. She has no doubt she’ll be re-admitted.

***

He takes a double shot of well whiskey at the terminal bar and gets on the plane.

And wants right back off.

But when they reach altitude and quiet settles over the passengers, he feels an unfamiliar peace. Maybe it’s only in escape that he can find it. But he hopes not, hopes that he’s running toward something, not away from something else.

***

Jenny hugs her goodbye. They’re in a good place.

 _Don’t go too straight_ , Jenny warns. _And remember your sister is maybe sometimes a smuggler. Or something. Hope nobody comes knocking around here._

She smiles and hands over the keys to her house.  

***

She lets Daniel take her on a date—a real date—and kiss her goodnight.

They have another. And then another. All swanky and cultured. And then she’s staying over and he is _so_ damn good.

They aren’t perfect, but it’s so normal, when he fixes her breakfast, or rubs her back, or kisses just below her jaw, or tells her she’s going to rocket through the ranks, that she’s almost willing to believe that normalcy _is_ perfect.

***

He lights a torch and confronts the tombs of his mother and father. His brother. His grandfather. His younger sister.

Seeing his own name, though, is something else entirely.

Acting on suspicion, but really, more a perverse, feverish desire to prove to himself he’s _not_ dead, he pries open his tomb.

***

She gets tapped to go back to New York and it’s not what she expected. Nor wanted.

A place with more sunshine would’ve been nice. A place that isn’t a Hellmouth. She didn’t join the FBI to be Agent Scully.

***

He takes Zoe to dinner because _she_ insists.

When he returns later to _their_ shared abode ( _her_ home _,_ not his), _she_ lifts an eyebrow and he simply says, _twee and insipid, thank you._

He goes immediately to Craigslist to search for apartments. There are far too many and far too expensive and he gives up.

 _Her_ low humming drifts down the hallway from the open bathroom. He accepts the sweet torture.

***

Jenny and Joe giggle their way out the front door, chorusing _love yous_ and _happy Thanksgivings._

They compliment one another on the fine feast, warm cheeks and warm smiles. She pulls up a stool to the kitchen island and drags the remains of the apple pie in front of her, finding a spoon to eat it straight from the pan.

He drops into the seat beside her, taking the utensil when she offers the handle.

They take turns.

Until they don’t. And she commits, wary as she is, taking the spoonful of spicy apple filling he’s offering onto her tongue.

The way he looks at her then wipes away any doubts she may have had. And she may have had many. A library’s worth, even.

So she leans over and presses her lips to his, tasting a hint of cinnamon.

The leftovers, the dishes, spend the night forgotten. The remnants of the pie end up on the floor. After all, they aren’t perfect. Or normal.

He groans as she presses her body against his. No, they’re legendary.


End file.
